Wednesday 27 June 2012

Round and round the garden......

 
 

One of my favourite flowers is Alchemilla mollis - Lady's Mantle.

It is such a good, useful garden plant with its acid yellow tiny flowers and beautiful distinctly shaped leaves, freely self seeding but not invasive, and complimentary to so many other plants - especially roses and geraniums, and any blue or purple flowers such as these Campanula Glomerata - it is also perfect as a cut flower, its delicate florets of tiny yellowy lime green flowers looking good with those same flowers it is a companion to in the garden.


  I love the way raindrops and early morning dew drops sit whole and unbroken like drops of molten glass on the leaves













a small campanula peeping through amongst the ferns - this was only planted a few weeks ago and has settled in well

 
a rusty green glass lantern - I love lanterns and have sadly even got a Pinterest board just for images of lanterns - there is something magical about a garden at night lit by lanterns, adding a touch of magic and excitement, a hint of  mystery and the unknown, a taste of the east and the Orient - atleast thats how they appear to me - must be something from my childhood that gives me those associations.

 
the roses have been wonderful this year because of  all the rain - this beautiful orange red bud has yet to open

 
another favourite garden flower - Lychnis Coronaria - some say it can be hard to place this in a garden, but to me as long as there is a generous clump of it then it seems to work well in many situations, and is easily moved if necessary, the pale greeny grey downy foliage perfectly offsetting the brilliant deep pink of the flowers.

It looks great mixed with fresh yellowy green foliage too - see a few photos on

 
beautiful palest of pink rosebuds

 
a clump of lychnis coronaria

 
more lychnis peeping through the yellow lime green leaves of a Hibiscus
(and can you spot the stone meerkat?!!!! The previous owners left many interesting stone statues behind, some classic and attractive, others quirky including this meerkat and a swan!  And I think we have a little fishing gnome hidden away near the top of the pond!)

 
better late than never - newly planted hanging baskets filled with pastel coloured petunias and trailing blue and white lobelia - these should look good in a few weeks time I hope. I cannot believe how late I am in planting them, but I didnt have the urge until this morning.

 
a few geraniums newly planted too

 
I have been so impressed with these little violas which have been flowering profusely in the shade, in pots either side of the back door, for a couple of months now

 
 
what a colour combination - mauve and orange!

 

 
I haven't seen so many rosebuds and flowers on this rose since we moved here - this rose must love the rain we've had - these are all on one stem.

 
There are five or six stems currently like this, and more to come

 
Homegrown herbs on the kitchen window sill - here I have Oregano.....

 
and Basil ........
And Coriander, but that is starting to run to seed now   - I must sow another batch.














The foxgloves have been glorious this year too - am loving this one growing up in front of the red leaved shrub (I must check up what it is called) and the ferns too are prolific at the moment.

I love the tiny unfurling fronds.

I still have more garden photos to share, as well as recipes to share, as Bella has been busy in the kitchen since her exams are over.

Wishing you all a Happy week.




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18 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful garden Gill. Raindrops and dewdrops look so so pretty. Loving your green lantern too!
    Victoria xx

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  2. Dear Gill,
    Fab photos of your wonderful garden! Yes, I did see the meercat!
    Have a great week.
    June

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  3. Violas, geraniums, lady's mantle, so many pretty things in your garden. Here's to warm sunny evening to spend outdoors with lanterns aglow.
    Lisa x

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  4. Your garden is looking beautiful Gill. I love the pale pink rose. :)
    It seems to have been a very good year for foxgloves!
    Vivienne x

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  5. What a lovely well-tended garden, I love Lady's Mantle too - it looks spectacular as a cut flower with Sweet Williams at the moment. Gorgeous photos, thankyou x

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  6. Gorgeous garden photos, as always. I'm a big lover of violas, and yours are stunning. Such brilliant little pops of color and adorable faces they have!!

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  7. Oh! Gill! Your flowers are the most beautiful I've ever seen! No wonder all the great gardens and gardeners come from England! It is so hot and dry here now I 'm just trying to keep them all alive. Are violas and pansies the same thing? Yours are gorgeous colors and in the shade? Maybe that's my problem....mine are fading fast but I have them in the sun. Maybe I shouldn't? I used to live in the midwest U.S. and now moved to the South and I've having a hard time gardening down here. But there are some great gardeners here....I'm just not one of them! LOL! It's obvious you are! I'm writing down the names of the plants so when I move back North maybe I can try growing some of those. TFS!

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  8. Gill, I have MAJOR garden envy!!! Love all your beautiful work! Have a wonderful week!

    Mary

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  9. The garden is looking fabulous Gill. My roses are looking great too. I love your purple campanula.
    Gillx

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  10. Your garden is so beautiful, and your pictures are stunning! I love alchemilla mollis too, for all the same reasons as you do. There was a lot growing in our garden when we first moved in and I was delighted to discover how gorgeous it looked in a posy, with roses especially! All your plants are thriving and look wonderful!
    Helen x

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  11. Wow Gill your garden looks amazing! I know you're not having much of a summer but at least you have a garden full of pretty blooms. Soooooooo pretty. Have a lovely weekend - I hope you get some sunshine!

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  12. Your garden is looking stunning, Gill. I did see the little meerkat, I have lots of little quirky things dotted around my garden too, not to everyone's taste but I like them.

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  13. Beautiful garden Gill.....I love your mugs also....

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  14. Your garden is in a word, beautiful. I love how you describe each flower. I hope your garden is on some kind of community tour. Around here once a summer you can go around and peek at gardens that are on a tour. Stunning display.

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  15. Hi Gilly ...looks so cool with all the green grass....flowers asever look wonderful....ciao Alison

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  16. I love Lady's Mantle too, which is a good job as our garden is full of it. We have been weeding like mad this year and have discovered things we thought were lost, but no, they were just hiding from the 'thugs' like Ground Elder!! My outside herb pots have gone mad in all this rain! xCathy

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  17. Hello Gill

    Your garden is glowing. I am in awe of the white rose with the endless buds. Foxglove always lures me too. I just love it.

    You impress me by knowing all the Latin names to your flowers. Well done.

    Helen xx

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  18. Its on its way Gill!

    Is that your house ... your house ...your house???

    I love looking in other peoples houses.
    Oh sugar someone at the door

    xxx A

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Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to leave a comment - I love to read them!
Gill x